Underframe construction.



W. E. FOWLER, SII.

UNDERFRAME CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22. 1915.

Patented July 20, 1915.

COLUMBIA FLANOURAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. c

"bran s r WILLIAM E. FOWLER, SR., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOE TO THE FOWLER CAB COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

UNDERFRAME CONSTRUCTION.

masher.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 29, 1915.

Application filed March 22, 1915. Serial No. 16,027.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. FOWLER, Sn, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Underframe Construction, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railway cars and has particular reference to a novel underframe floor construction.

In all railway cars, except hopper and drop bottom, the floor boards are laid transversely of the car and supports are provided for the boards at the ends and two or more intermediate points. Usually a plank, or other wood filler, is located at the center sill and the floor boards secured thereto in some manner. In other instances no support is provided at the center sill. It will be understood that the lower edge of the floor boards is usually a short distance above the upper edge of the center sill cover plate.

An object of my invention is to provide a combined center sill cover plate and floor support which shall obviate the use of separate wood or metal parts and which shall not add materially to the cost of construction of the car. To accomplish the desired result I provide the usual center sill cover plate with down-turned marginal flanges, by means of which the plate is secured to the flanges of the center sill. This results in elevating the plane of the body portion of the cover plate to bring it into line with the lower face of the floor boards.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a fragmentary section through a car underframe and floor constructed in accordance with my invention, Fig. 2 isa slightly modified form of floor construction, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 1, the floor boards being removed.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 3 there are the usual center sills 10 and cross bearer or body bolster 11 having cover plate 12, which cross bearers are depressed intermediate their ends to accommodate a Z-bar floor sill 13 upon which the floor boards 14: may rest. The center sills are provided with a cover plate which consists in a plate of metal 15 having down-turned portions 16 and re-bent marginal flanges 17, rivets being passed through the flanges 17 and through the flanges of the center sills 10. This provides for a small elevation of the body portion 15 of the cover plate bringing it into the plane of the lower face of the floor boards and providing a support therefor. At the body bolster or cross bearers I terminate the flanges 16, 17 of the cover plate to permit the passage, of the cross bearer cover plate 12 over the center sills and beneath the cover plate 15.

In the construction shown in Fig. 2, the parts of the center sill and cover plate remain the same. I have, however, provided for short lengths 18 of the floor boards, these being held at their inner ends by a T-bar 19 and angles 20 riveted to the cover plate. This is the same as shown in my copending application Serial No. 877,516, filed December 16, 1914:.

In each of the instances shown it will be seen that I provide for a support for the floor boards without any additional parts and without weakening or limiting the utility of the center sill cover plate.

I claim:

1. In an underframe for cars, the combination of center sills and a cover plate for said center sills, said plate having down-turned marginal flanges by means of which the plate is secured to and spaced above the center sillsand floor boards resting on said cover plate, substantially as described.

2. In a car underframe, the combination of center sills, a cover plate, the body portion of which is spaced above the plane of the top of the center sills, and floor boards supported by said cover plate, substantially as described.

3. In a car underframe, the combination portion of the cover plate lying above the 5 plane of the top of said center sill, and floor Witnesses:

boards supported by said cover plate, sub- 0. F. MURRAY, stantially as described. g T. D. BUTLER.

of center sills, a cover plate having doWn- Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 19th day turned marginal flanges by means of which of March, 1915. said plate 1s secured to said sills, the body WILLIAM E FOWLER, SR

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washing'ton, I) G. 

